Yadav Singh case: Blackmoney SIT may approach UP Lokayukta

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on blackmoney may soon approach the UP Lokayukta department for registration of corruption charges against controversial Noida Authority official Yadav Singh, who has been accused of amassing illegal wealth.

New Delhi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on blackmoney may soon approach the UP Lokayukta department for registration of corruption charges against controversial Noida Authority official Yadav Singh, who has been accused of amassing illegal wealth.

Officials privy to the development said while the SIT has taken this case seriously, its desire to get registered a money laundering case against the top officer by central probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) has hit a legal barrier as there is no preliminary criminal case or predicate offence registered against him as of now.

The SIT, last month, had held a meeting to review this specific case with the CBDT Chairperson and top officials of the Income Tax (Investigations) office in state capital Lucknow as it asked them to share information of this case with the ED so that Yadav could also be investigated under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"However, the ED will not be able to register a case till there is an FIR in this case or to say a predicate offence made out. The SIT is expected to approach the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta requesting them to go into the merits of this case and lodge a criminal complaint," the sources said.

The Lokayukta organisation in every state is mandated to probe and prosecute cases of corruption against state government officials.

SIT Chairman Justice (retd) MB Shah and vice chairman Justice (retd) Arijit Pasayat had held a meeting and reviewed this case after the I-T department had carried out extensive raids, in November last year, on Singh's premises and a number of companies with which his wife is believed to be associated with in Noida and other areas.

The SIT, according to sources, had taken this case of alleged tax evasion seriously and it suspects generation of a huge amount of illegal funds here, in which the I-T department has already seized huge cash and is in the process of scrutinising documents of real estate projects executed by Yadav in the national capital region.

According to an official statement issued by the Finance Ministry earlier, the SIT after the meeting, had also asked CBDT boss Anita Kapur to personally monitor the probe in the case.

I-T searches on the premises of Yadav and his wife last month had led to the recovery of huge cash, two kg gold and diamond jewellery even as the department has brought under its scanner over a dozen bank accounts of the duo and private firms operated by them.

"As the search (on Singh) is being conducted by Director General Lucknow, it was directed that Chairperson CBDT would monitor the search, seizure and further appropriate proceedings against Yadav Singh and other connected persons.

"DG and search officer (of the case) shall convey the information to the Director of the Enforcement Directorate to take appropriate action and to investigate the matter further from the angle of money laundering. Thereafter, SIT would further monitor the investigations," the statement had said.